I have been attending a meeting of around forty Archbishops and Bishops from all over Asia for several days now at Assumption University on the outskirts of Bangkok, Thailand surrounded by flood waters approaching the country’s low-lying capital city.

An anniversary is an opportunity to both celebrate and reflect. For IIED, which marks its 40th birthday next week, it is a time to remember what we have achieved and invigorate ourselves for the challenges ahead.

Communities often develop from a sense of place and a shared sense of belonging to that place. So, how do you bring a community together in a slum where people aren’t allowed to ‘belong’ because they don’t have anywhere to live, or they’re living illegally in a shack and know they might be evicted tomorrow?

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